


teal was the color of your shirt

by polyproticamory



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, F/M, Flirting, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28802274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polyproticamory/pseuds/polyproticamory
Summary: ‘The sound of her full name startled her, but she liked the way he said it, the peek of his tongue between teeth on the final -th. “Hm? And how did you know my name?”Flynn paused and blinked. He tilted his head, mouth open in something like surprise. But then he relaxed, biting his lip again, more playful now, and Judy felt her pulse in her neck, fluttering. “You have…” He pointed to his chest, and Judy looked at where he gestured before looking down at herself—at the brass name tag pinned to her apron with JUDITH engraved on it.Judy looked back up at him, her heart racing and face warm. She didn’t blush easily, and she tried to fight it down. But Flynn just smiled and waved, said, “I’ll see you around.”’Or, 3 times Flynn "saved" Judy from jerks, and 1 time she did. OR, the Fludith Coffee Shop AU that no one asked for.
Relationships: Judith/Flynn Scifo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	teal was the color of your shirt

**Author's Note:**

> I've been playing Vesperia nonstop since I'm on my final week of break and trying to make the most of it. I feel like Flynn/Judith are something of a rare pairing, and I really wanted more stories about them. So. This.
> 
> Title from a Taylor Swift song because I've also been listening to her music nonstop during this final week of break.

When Yuri called in a favor—”That guy Kaufman referred to us was totally useless, didn’t even last a week,” he said, a sigh crackling over the phone—Judy waltzed in and took a place behind the counter. It wasn’t a bad gig, not nearly as bad as waitressing at the tavern down the block where her interactions with customers were drawn out over hours of a meal rather than the few minutes of taking and making their drink orders. The cafe was warmly lit, all polished hardwood and mismatched cushions on the chairs. At the register were a pair of tip jars with the sign _What superpower would you want?_ over them, and _flight_ or _super speed_ stuck to the fronts. Judy liked the whimsy and often helped Yuri come up with the week’s tip competition.

Thursday afternoons, after the lunch rush and before the end-of-workday crowd, she was alone for a few hours as Yuri ran errands. Most of the people in the cafe itself were college students, working in groups at the large center table with their cups on their last sips as they tried to draw out their drinks so that they could stay and take advantage of the free wi-fi for as long as possible. Judy ignored them, absently doodled on the drink pad, the diamonds and whirls creating a constellation she liked the look of. 

The bell over the door tinkled and she put the final touch on a stardust swirl as she straightened. She looked up and saw a fairly unremarkable man with his phone in his hand, obviously mid-text, his eyes firmly on her chest. 

“What can I get for you today?” Judy asked, her tone polite and firm. In moments like these, with customers who so clearly only saw her as a warm object, she hated that the necessary questions for service often sounded so laden with double-meaning. _How can I help you? What would you like? What can I do for you?_ If Judy didn’t like and respect Yuri so much, and wanted to represent his business well, she’d simply greet these customers with a terse _What_. No inflection at the end to turn it into a question, just a demand for an order. 

The man finally— _finally_ —looked up to her face, his mouth twisted into a smirk that she figured he thought was seductive. “Hmm, I’m not sure yet. Can you tell me about the coffee here?”

Judy smiled, closed-lipped and tight. “The origin of today’s regular brew is listed on the board near the entrance. Right now we have a single-source Indonesian coffee bean. Fair trade.”

“Nice,” the man said, his teeth showing. “How’s it in the mouth? Taste, texture, you know,” he said when Judy tilted her head in seeming misunderstanding.

She let her mouth press into a line, giving away her frustration for a moment, but then went to answer when a voice from behind the man spoke in clipped politeness.

“Pardon me, but could you make your order soon? There’s a line behind you.”

Judy looked behind the customer, who was now leaning an elbow on the corner feigning a casualness that looked more like a sloppy intrusion into personal space. She met a pair of clear blue eyes under a messy blond fringe, and her first thought was, _Oh, great, another knight in shining armor_. 

The blond’s eyebrows contracted for a moment, asking a silent _Are you okay?_ And, well. That was different. Normally the men who tried to “save” her from these situations didn’t bother checking. She jerked her head, tried to say, _I don’t like him, but you don’t have to do anything about it_ , without saying the words out loud.

The man at the counter, oblivious to this silent conversation, turned around. He looked at the stretch of emptiness from behind the blond man to the door, and smiled in a way that tried so hard to be powerful and threatening. “Sorry, buddy, I’ll only be a minute.” He turned to Judy, his look down to her chest not even subtle as his entire head moved with his eyes. “In fact, I’ll pay for his, too. To make up for the inconvenience.”

“I’d prefer to pay for my own drink, if it meant you could order yours faster.” When the other man crossed his arms, his shirt stretched so that the taut fabric emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. He was dressed in a way that Judy could only describe as _stuffy_ , with his sleeves and collar fully buttoned, shirt tucked into navy-colored slacks belted with a buckle that shined. Even the ironed-in crease of his trousers looked fresh, despite the late hour of the work day. Normally, those lines were faded on the more business-like clientele who came in, their hours of sitting softening the fabric. But despite his rigid appearance, he looked _good_. Good, as in, like a nice guy, and good as in _beautiful_. His shirt was a robin’s egg blue that made his eyes shine, and was slim-cut to show off a trim waist. He looked at her again, a quick blink that was another question. _Is this okay?_ Judy smiled, bit her lip, nodded once.

The man at the counter paused, assessing the guy behind him, before he turned to Judy. She didn’t look at him right away, but let her gaze linger pointedly _away_ from the customer at the front of the line. She blinked slowly, in a way that let her gaze slide down the other man’s body, before she turned to the bothersome one. He was red in the face, embarrassed and indignant. 

“Are you ready to order?” Judy asked, her tone still clipped and polite. 

“Just a small coffee, black.” To add to the man’s humiliation, his card—weighty and expensive-looking—was declined, and he had to fish out another, flimsier credit card. 

While the payment was going through, Judy filled a cardboard cup, didn’t bother to ask if he wanted it for here, didn’t ask for a name with the drink. When the man took up his coffee, she bid him a terse goodbye, then turned to the friendly one. 

“And what can I get for you today?” Judy asked, nicer, but still aloof. Just because this guy helped her deal with a bothersome customer—and had nice eyes, and looked amazing in blue, and probably had a great ass based on the fit of his pants—didn’t mean that she was inclined to give him more than her best customer service energy. 

The guy, to his credit, smiled and looked up at the drinks menu behind the counter. “Small black coffee, half caf. And,” he looked down at his phone, tapping a few times before saying, “a medium white chocolate mocha with an extra shot.” 

The bell over the door dinged again, and a small group of students entered, their messenger bags slung over their shoulders, perched on their hips. They laughed, waved at the group at the middle table, and got in line. Judy wrote the two orders down, writing around the stars she had been doodling. “For here or to go?”

“Better make it to go,” the man said, glancing at his phone screen again. 

“And a name for the drinks?” Judy circled _to-go_ on the ticket, and looked up, meeting blue eyes again. 

“Flynn,” the man said. “Flynn Scifo.”

Judy smiled. “Alright.” She rang up the drinks and told him the total. He paid with exact change, then tucked an extra five bucks into the tip jar labeled _flight_. 

“Oh, good,” she said when she saw his hand retreat. 

“Hmm?”

Judy nodded at the jars, felt a thrill of _something_ flow through her while she steamed the milk for the mocha. “It’s always nice when a man isn’t looking to move too fast.”

Flynn blushed, but he laughed, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. “Of course.” He bit his lip, then looked around when the bell over the door sounded again and a pair of people walked in and stood in line behind the group of students after him. He turned to Judy as she pressed the lid onto the second cup. 

“Thank you, Judith,” he said, taking the drinks and smiling gratefully, his cheeks still a little pink. 

The sound of her full name startled her, but she liked the way he said it, the peek of his tongue between teeth on the final - _th_. “Hm? And how did you know my name?”

Flynn paused and blinked. He tilted his head, mouth open in something like surprise. But then he relaxed, biting his lip again, more playful now, and Judy felt her pulse in her neck, fluttering. “You have…” He pointed to his chest, and Judy looked at where he gestured before looking down at herself—at the brass name tag pinned to her apron with JUDITH engraved on it. 

Judy looked back up at him, her heart racing and face warm. She didn’t blush easily, and she tried to fight it down. But Flynn just smiled and waved, said, “I’ll see you around.”

#

Flynn became a regular, coming in nearly every Thursday during the afternoon lull, always taking his drinks to go. He tipped five dollars every time, choosing _mountains_ over _beach_ for the vacation spot tip jars, _90’s R &B _ over _80’s power ballads_ for the music genres, and then, laughing a little, _blue_ over _red_ while he was dressed in his customary shades of blue. The small black coffee, half caf, Judy learned was Flynn’s, and he sometimes sipped it when Judy was making the other, more elaborate espresso drink. The second drink was always something different, much sweeter and sometimes more milk than coffee. As the winter melted into a warm, early spring, the drinks became blended frappuccinos with, “Extra whipped cream, in a small cup.” Flynn ordered this through gritted teeth, grimacing as if the cavities formed in his own mouth at just uttering those words. 

“No sweet tooth?” Judy placed the cups in a drink carrier.

“I’d rather have healthy regular teeth,” he said, shaking his head. Judy laughed.

On a Thursday morning early in the summer, Yuri narrowed his eyes at her, his lips curling into a smile. “You look nice today.” His hair was tied into a neat bun at the base of his skull, and he crossed his arms. He had his customary first three buttons on his shirt unbuttoned, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the lean muscle of his forearms. The seams on his shoulders stretched in a way that reminded Judy of Flynn, his strong figure underneath his boring clothes. 

Judy smiled. “Oh? Do I not look nice every other day?” She pouted, playful. “That hurts, Yuri.”

Yuri laughed, deep and quiet. “I’m sorry, Judy darlin’. I only meant that you look _extra_ nice today.”

“Darlin’? You’ve been hanging around Raven too much.” 

Yuri grimaced. “Yikes, you’re right. I need a drink to wash that out of my mouth.” He turned to the espresso machine, glancing over his shoulder. “You want anything?”

“Matcha latte,” Judy said. “Whole milk, please.”

“As you wish.” Yuri ducked to get the milk out of the fridge, gracefully going through the motions of making the drinks, his own being a sugary concoction that they didn’t put on the menu. “Oh, also, Rita called in sick today. Has a bit of a cold that she thinks she’ll be able to sleep off in time for her shift, but I told her to stay home.”

“Oh dear. Does she need anything?”

Yuri shook his head. “She says Estelle’s got her well-stocked on food. Won’t be able to close tonight, though. I was wondering if you could take the last shift, instead of the post-lunch one? I can take the afternoon instead, I don’t have anywhere I need to be. I’d take closing, but I made plans with a friend tonight.”

Judy hummed, plucking one of the pain au chocolat from the display case for Yuri. “I can work all the way through today.”

“I’m pretty sure there’s a labor violation there.” Yuri frowned as he stirred the matcha with boiling water in a ceramic mug. “You sure you want to be here the whole day?”

“Hey, I’ll get paid overtime, right?” Judy smiled, placing one of the breakfast sandwiches into the toaster oven to heat up. “It’s not a bad deal.”

Yuri poured steamed milk into the matcha, then looked up at Judy. He handed over her drink, his other hand coming up to cover hers when she took the cup. She met his eye and stared placidly, keeping her expression pleasantly loose. Yuri raised an eyebrow. 

“You’re really okay with working all the way through?” he asked, eyebrow climbing even higher.

Judy reached up with her free hand and poked Yuri’s forehead. “And what a Raven-like face you’re making. I’m glad you’re having a friend over tonight so that you get some variety in your social life.”

Yuri laughed and let her go. “Alright, alright. But you’re taking a full hour for a break before you’re on your solo shift, and another full hour when Karol comes in for rush hour. He can handle the counter alone for a bit.”

“Will do,” Judy agreed. She took a sip of her latte and hummed. “Mm. Perfect.” She pushed the plate with the pastry towards Yuri, then turned to the toaster oven to get her sandwich. When she turned away, she didn’t see Yuri’s sharp smile and sparkling dark eyes. 

The day went on as usual, fixing drinks and making change and making sure the coffee shop playlist kept going over the speakers without any gaps. When Yuri left after lunch, Judy turned the music towards her guilty pleasure top 40 pop playlist, lip syncing along when there were no customers to deal with. 

When three o’clock came and went with no sign of Flynn, Judy couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Though it wasn’t the first time Flynn had missed his Thursday afternoon stop, she was a little let down that it happened on her longest day. There was no way that Flynn could have known, and Judy reprimanded herself for harboring such unreasonable expectations. 

“It’s not his fault _you’re_ in a bad mood, Judith,” she muttered under her breath, wiping down the counter with a damp rag, pouting in earnest. 

“Aw, Judy darlin’. I hate seeing you so down.”

Judy didn’t jump, but her pulse did, and she turned around to see Raven leaning against the counter. How he had gotten through the door without the door chiming is beyond her, but she regarded the gray-haired man with a placid smile. “Who’s down? Certainly not me.”

Raven smiled, and though he was a little sleazy, his frank appraisal of her figure was laced with genuine concern, as if checking to make sure she was as whole and healthy as the last time he had seen her. Judy put a hand on her hip and subjected herself to his assessment, and when he met her eyes again, he was all friendly warmth and patience. “You’ve been sighing somethin’ fierce since I walked in. Somethin’ the matter’?”

“No, not at all,” Judy answered. She reached for a medium cardboard cup. “The usual?”

“Hm, sub in one a those plant milks instead, I think. Doc said something about lactose sensitivity during my last checkup.” 

“Any preference?”

“Whatever the lovely lady recommends,” Raved said, inclining his head towards her. He looked around at the nearly-empty cafe, the few patrons engrossed in their conversations or laptops or textbooks. After a while, he turned to Judy, speaking over his shoulder. “By the way, you know about Yuri’s birthday, right? It’s this weekend. Me and Karol are putting together a costume party. You should come.”

“That sounds like fun,” Judy said, stirring the caramel syrup into the espresso. “I’ll be there.”

“Brilliant!” Raven took the drink from Judy when she popped the lid on, then raised it in salute to her. “I’ll tell you the details later, once the boy and I have figured them out.”

Judy waved him away, already turning to greet a customer who had just entered, and the short queue that was starting to form. 

When Karol came in, all gangly limbs and slicked up hair, he shooed her out the door, saying, “Yuri’s orders. Come back in an hour.” Judy placed her apron on the hook behind the counter, then grabbed a juice and a vegetable wrap from the fridge before stepping out with her sunglasses on her nose. 

The day was hot and humid, the sky a clear blue, filtered into a darker hue through her tinted lenses. She walked to a nearby park and found a spot under a tree, looking up at the dappled sunlight through the branches. 

On all sides of the park were towering skyscrapers, some of them with great billboard signs of the company that owned the building. Judy wondered if Flynn worked in any of them, if he had a desk by a window that overlooked the street, if maybe he could see her. It was easy to pick her out from a crowd—Yuri liked to tease her that her dyed blue-violet ombre made her more eye-catching than even Estelle’s bubblegum-pink bob—and she liked the idea of Flynn looking out while taking a short respite from looking at a screen, his timing perfect so that he could see her cross the street. 

Judy took a bite of her wrap and chastised herself again (silently, this time). She liked to think of herself as an exceedingly practical person, and didn’t lose any time to idle daydreams. And most of the time, she was able to put the blue-eyed man out of her mind. She doodled her way through the lulls in her shift, went out for after work drinks with Rita on days when neither of them were closing, or tagged along with Yuri’s evening walk with Repede. Even most of the day on Thursday she fell into the rhythm of the counter, making drinks and calling out names when they were ready. It was only until Flynn was right in front of her, with his pressed pants and buttoned shirts, hair looking windswept even on still days, that she spared him a thought.

It wasn’t like her to pine like this, and when she stood up from her spot under the tree, the food wrapper crinkled into a tight ball in her first, she took a breath to steady herself, bringing her mind back to a reality she could control. Her steps walking back to the shop weren’t lighter, but they were easier to take. 

Karol was there for the rest of the rush hour, leaving at eight when the customers had slowed down to a trickle, then a languid drip of a few people every hour. At close, there was only one person left, a man who had a cold tea in a to-go cup in front of him, his phone charging while he tapped furiously at it. When Judy called out to him, he looked around and nodded, unplugging his phone from the wall before walking out, his tea in hand. 

Judy put on another playlist, this one more languid and melancholy, matching her mood at the end of the long day. She flipped the sign to _closed_ , then went through the steps of closing up. She counted the money and locked the register, wiped the counters, flipped the chairs onto the tables when the front door chimed again. 

“We’re closed,” Judy called out, raising her head to see a man enter the shop anyway. _Oh, damn_ , she thought. _I should have locked that._

“Can’t you just do one more?” the man asked, his voice gruff. “I’ll pay double.”

Judy shook her head. “Sorry, the register and kitchen are locked for the night.”

The man glared at her. “Well, _un_ lock it. You can do that much, you’re the one with the keys.”

“I’m sorry sir, I can’t help you.” Judy draped the rag over the rim of the disinfectant bucket. She walked over to the door and opened it. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I’ll really have to ask you to leave.”

As she looked, she made a swift assessment of the person in front of her. She had no doubt that she would be able to defend herself, at least long enough to call for help, if not to subdue the man entirely, but she really didn’t _want_ to. She’d already been there for over fourteen hours, and all she wanted was to go home and soak in her tub with a book and some hot cocoa. Dealing with this seemed like a particularly cruel end to her workday. 

“No,” the man shouted, and Judy internally facepalmed. “I’m here, willing to pay for a service that you provide, so you _must_ provide it.”

“I’m really sorry, _sir_ ,” Judy said, her voice tense, “but we are closed. Please leave, or I’ll call the authorities.”

The man opened his mouth again, but then a voice at the open door said, “I believe the lady said to leave.”

Judy looked around, almost gasped at the sight of Flynn. He was dressed down, in a soft-looking t-shirt and jeans that were a looser fit than his usual trousers. He held a six-pack of beer in a cardboard carrier and a Settlers of Catan box under his arm. But he drew himself up to his full height, and Judy was able to fully appreciate the size of him, closer to him now and without the counter separating them. 

She turned to the man in the shop. “Please, sir. We’re closed for the night.”

The man looked between the two of them, then scoffed. “You can expect a one-star review on Yelp.” He walked out of the shop, knocking his shoulder roughly against Flynn, who barely moved. 

Flynn turned to Judy when the man was down the block. “Are you alright?”

“Yes,” Judy said, embarrassed at the breathiness of her voice. “I could have handled him. But still. Thanks.”

“I have your back,” Flynn said. His gaze lingered on her face as if searching for some sign that she wasn’t alright, and he relaxed after a moment, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. “And though it’s not under the most ideal circumstances...I am glad that I got to see you today.”

Judy blinked, felt that effervescent fluttering in her neck again as her pulse raced at his words. “Oh?” She didn’t ask, _Where were you today, anyway? And why are you here now?_ , felt that the questions would reveal too much. Yuri’s teasing remarks about _looking nice today_ echoed in her mind as well, and she felt doubly embarrassed. 

“I had a meeting sprung on me at the last minute. My boss had a bit of a press situation today, and.” Flynn cut off and huffed a laugh. “Never mind. It’s boring. But long story short, I didn’t have my usual break. I was going to take an extra long break tomorrow, though. To make up for it.”

Judy bit her lip. “Make it up...for me?” 

Flynn smiled, eyes bright in the dim street light. “And to the labor board. Make sure I’m taking my breaks, as sanctioned by the city and state.”

“Oh, of course.” Judy smiled, too, leaned against the door. “Well. I’m glad that you’re taking your work-life balance seriously. Breaks are important.”

“Yes,” Flynn said. “Absolutely vital.”

Judy’s smile widened. The warmth from the summer night only made her more attuned to the heat of Flynn’s body, so close, almost crossing the threshold. She looked at him as she stepped further back into the shop. “So...I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

Flynn grinned back. “Tomorrow.”

#

The next day, Judy deliberately went through her usual morning routine. A little bit of makeup, sharp eyeliner, her hair in a neat bun on top of her head. She donned her uniform and wore her normal, comfortable shoes, the ones she wore every day. Absolutely nothing was different. 

Still, Yuri looked at her when she walked through the door, his eyes narrowed and assessing regardless. “Well good morning, sunshine.”

“Good morning, boss.” Judy slipped her apron over her head and reached behind her to tie the strings. “How are you this morning?”

“Good,” Yuri said, dragging the vowel out. “And how are you, Judith?”

Judy laughed. “Uh oh, my full name. Am I in trouble?”

“Nope,” Yuri said. “You just...look good again today.”

“And again, I ask, do I not look good any other day? If you’re trying to flatter me, you’re failing miserably.”

Yuri’s shoulders shook with laughter, his smile big enough to force his eyes closed. “Ouch. Okay, I’ll make note of that.”

Judy patted his face. “As long as you’re not channeling Raven’s spirit, I can forgive you.”

“I’m telling him you said that.”

“I’ll tell him myself.” She grinned and picked up the empty tip jars, removing their labels from the front. 

She got the sticky notes from behind the counter, wrote _dinner and a movie_ on one, then _picnic in the park_ on the other. Yuri picked up one of the jars and asked, “Best way to spend a weekend?”

“Which is a better first date,” Judy replied. She wrote the question out on an index card and replaced the other sign. Yuri looked at her until she lifted her eyes to his, but he didn’t say anything. He just smiled, put the jar down, then turned to the task of preparing the shop, the first customer of the day already coming through the chiming doorway.

Judy didn’t know when Flynn would appear, and the anticipation of it simmered under her skin as she poured the coffee and counted out change and bantered with other regulars. She was coming up on three months, the longest stint she’d done at the shop. Yuri had occasionally mentioned someone coming in for an interview, but they never made it past the first meeting to a test at the counter, and Judy never pressed him. She trusted that he would find someone, but in the meantime, she didn’t mind the extended gig. It gave her something to look forward to. 

The last person in the lunchtime rush was Raven, his hair piled on his head in a messy top knot. “Alright, old man?” Yuri greeted him, leaning in the open doorway that separated the back kitchen from the counter, preparing for his off shift.

Raven put a hand on his heart. “Is that any way to greet your elders?”

“Oh, Raven,” Judy simpered. “Fifty is hardly elderly.”

“F-fifty?” Raven’s eyes popped out. “Judy, darlin’, you’re killing me.”

“You know I’m only teasing.”

“Still, you really know how ta hurt an old man’s feelin’s.” 

“Aw, Judes. How could you? Look at that face.” Yuri walked up to the counter and nudged Raven under his stubbly chin. He straightened up and grinned when the bell over the door chimed.

“I’m very sorry,” Judy said, smiling and rolling her eyes, already pumping caramel syrup into a cup, not looking around. 

“All will be forgiven,” Raven said solemnly, “for a lap dance.”

“Mister Oltor—Raven!” 

The cup slipped from Judy’s grasp, but she caught it miraculously without spilling. She whipped around and saw a red-faced Flynn standing behind the scruffy man leaning on the counter as if his spine were made of liquid. Yuri was standing equally casually, though he glanced over his shoulder at Judy’s shocked expression, a smile growing on his face. 

Flynn spluttered. “You—you shouldn’t speak to her—to _anyone_ that way!”

“Hey, hey, I’m only teasin’!” Raven raised his hands, elbows still on the counter. “Judy darlin’, back me up.”

Judy blushed under the wide gaze of earnest blue eyes, silently praying that Yuri wouldn’t turn around to see her pink cheeks. “It’s alright, Flynn. He’s harmless.”

Raven opened his mouth to speak, then his brow furrowed. “Fl—wait.” He rolled over so that he looked at Judy. “You know him?”

“He’s a regular,” Judy said. She flinched at how fast her answer came, then flinched again, internally, when she felt her face twitch.

Yuri turned to face her, grinning fully. “A regular, huh?”

“Yes,” Judy said. “Small, half caf black coffee, and a sugary monstrosity. His words,” Judy added, “not mine.”

Yuri looked over his shoulder, eyes sweeping over Flynn, and a shiver ran down Judy’s spine like she’d walked into a trap and only just realized. Flynn turned, if possible, even redder. “Yuri,” he said, low and urgent.

“Flynn,” Yuri said, voice laced with a laugh.

The pieces suddenly slotted together. Judy turned to hide her deepening blush and finished making Raven’s drink. She was already reaching for another cardboard cup, but then she turned over her shoulder. “For here or to go?”

Flynn looked away from his glaring at Yuri and blinked. “Oh. Um, for here, actually.”

Judy nodded. “And will you be needing a sugary monstrosity today?”

“No, he will not,” Yuri said, and Judy looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Those drinks are for me. We meet up during his lunch break and I ask him to get me stuff from here.” Yuri’s eyes darted between Judy and his best friend, and he said. “Did he not tell you? That the drinks were mine?”

Flynn mumbled under his breath. Yuri leaned over the counter. “Sorry, what was that?”

“It never came up,” Flynn said. Yuri started cackling, and Flynn reached over to pinch Yuri’s nose. “Shut up. You can make your own drink today, you jerk.”

Judy slid the small coffee in the simple mug across the counter. Flynn started reaching toward his pocket, still grumbling, but Judy grabbed his hand. “On the house.” She held on for longer than strictly necessary, and when she pulled away her skin felt cold. 

“But—”

“He’s paying,” Judy amended, jerking her head towards Yuri.

Flynn laughed, ignoring his friends’ indignant and undignified squawks of protest. “Well, I can’t say no to that.” He ducked his head, then looked up at her through unfairly long lashes. “You should.” He licked his lips, eyes still fixed on her face, ignoring the two men watching the scene with avid interest. “You should get something for yourself, then, too. I was—I was planning on asking.”

Judy smiled, felt like she was more on an even keel, steadied by Flynn’s gaze. “I’m working,” she murmured.

“You’re on break,” Yuri said, too loud. 

“I’m on break,” Judy agreed, still looking at Flynn. “Would you like some company?”

“I’d love some, Judith.” 

Yuri mouthed _Judith_ , and made a face that everyone ignored. Judy turned to grab the matcha tin and started fixing up her latte. Flynn took up the mug and said, “I’ll get us a table.” He glared at Yuri and Raven. “The farthest from the counter.”

Judy laughed and looked over her shoulder to see Flynn pause, then reach for his wallet again. He took out a ten dollar bill and met Judy’s eye. He expertly dodged Yuri’s attempts to push his hand off course, then slipped the bill into the jar labeled _picnic in the park_. Judy grinned, mouthed _Good choice_ , then watched as he walked away. She stirred the matcha powder with hot water and let her eyes slide down his body when he turned his back, and, _yes_ , she was absolutely right about his ass.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me sometimes on [Tumblr](https://polyproticamory.tumblr.com).


End file.
